Social Justice: Home

"Scott Rankin is the co-founder, CEO and creative director of Big hART, a charity which uses the arts to bring about social justice. He is this week’s Changemaker ... "

"Even though my family’s migration in the late 1990s to Australia was voluntary and a bit of an adventure, it was not always easy to fit into another society despite very similar cultural backgrounds. I can only empathise with and imagine the violence, fear and desperation that drives individuals and families to strike out into an uncertain future with no guarantees, away from everything familiar in search of safety ... "

"Explore the artworks below to support your discussions on issues of social justice with your students."

"Alabama artists are depicting honest history and challenging historical invisibility—reshaping public narratives of justice in their communities ... "

"Many artists create work that intersects with political activism and social justice causes. Throughout history, art has been used as an accessible tool for communication, raising awareness about social issues and affecting positive change. This video collection will introduce students to artists who create work that inspires dialogue about problems faced by communities around the world, and will provide inspiration for classroom projects with a social, public or political purpose ... "

"A series of art that recognizes the need for and facilitates discussions around the complexities of racial and social justice while elevating and empowering the voices of underrepresented populations and groups. After two open calls to artists, there are currently 11 installations in the collection ... "

"Peter Drew is an Australian artist whose work is concerned with memory, nationalism, masculinity, criminality, brown paper and mythology. He holds a Masters Degree from the Glasgow School of Art and has been exhibited at major arts institutions around Australia, though his most prominent work is installed on city streets ... "

"A descendant of the Ngugi people of Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) in the Quandamooka, Libby Harward creates artworks that break through the colonial overlay to connect with the cultural landscape, which always was, and always will be here. Her political practice, in a range of genres, continues this decolonising process. Libby describes her practice as a process of simultaneously listening, calling out to, knowing and understanding Country ... "

"Kay Abude is an artist based in Melbourne, Australia. She has an expanded sculptural practice working in large-scale installation, photography, performance, video and silk screen printing. Abude’s work is about work itself: the value of it, the effort, the inequality and insecurity of it, especially for artists ... "

"A multi-talented street artist, activist, and Ph.D. student, Ms Saffaa's artwork has empowered and fueled a social movement opposing Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship laws ... "

"Arrested and harassed by the Chinese government, artist Ai Weiwei makes daring works unlike anything the world has ever seen ... "

"Born Faith Willi Jones on October 8, 1930, in Harlem, Faith Ringgold was a pioneering painter, mixed media sculptor, performance artist, author, teacher and activist whose powerful works address issues of race, gender, and social justice. Ringgold’s innovative use of quilting and storytelling techniques revolutionized the art world by bridging the gap between fine art and craft traditions ... "

" ... Wiley’s larger than life figures disturb and interrupt tropes of portrait painting, often blurring the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation and the critical portrayal of masculinity and physicality as it pertains to the view of black and brown young men ... "

"Keith Haring was a popular artist and activist who was part of the legendary New York art scene during the 1980s. While he is known for his colourful works and his iconic motifs such as the radiant baby and the barking dog, much of his work responded to contemporary social and political events ... "

"Shepard Fairey is also famous for his activist and humanitarian concerns and often creates and donates artwork in order to promote awareness and show support. After the 2015 Paris attacks, the artist paid a tribute to the victims with the creation of a poster depicting Marianne, the French national icon, surrounded by the French motto Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité. In June 2016, Shepard Fairey reproduced the image as a mural in Paris ... "